Trump's Truth Social platform now available for Android users from the Play Store

On January 8th, 2021, two days after a mob of pro-Trump supporters attacked the Capitol, Twitter tossed the 45th president off of the platform permanently. For Donald Trump, you might as well have taken away his oxygen. Trump used his Twitter account to let everyone know what he was thinking and to communicate with his followers and haters among average Americans and politicians of both parties.

Needing to find a replacement for Twitter to help him get his views across, Trump launched Truth Social this past February and seven months later it was the 25th most popular social media app in the App Store. The app, developed by Trump Media & Technology Group (a new Trump company founded last October) had been banned from getting listed in the Google Play Store because of Google's policies that prohibit the listing of apps that have violent content and incite violence.

A Google spokesman said, "Apps may be distributed on Google Play provided they comply with our developer guidelines, including the requirement to effectively moderate user-generated content and remove objectionable posts such as those that incite violence."

The ban against listing Truth Social on Android had effectively prevented 44% of Americans from seeing Trump's posts on his own app. There have been ways around the ban including the use of a browser app on Android to use the Truth Social website. Or by using a third-party app store, the Truth Social app could be sideloaded onto an Android phone. But neither of those methods is required anymore as Google has now allowed Truth Social to appear in the Play Store.

Google demands that apps with violent content and abusive behavior, have policies to prevent these issues from happening. And Google also wants to see such apps have a method to enforce these policies. At first, Truth Social did not have the required policies to deal with violent and abusive content, and as a result, it could not enforce policies that it did not have. But it now appears that Truth Social can meet Google's requirements for a Play Store listing.

The app can now be installed on Android handsets via the Play Store from this listing. But the question is whether this will matter to Trump at all. Multi-billionaire  Elon Musk is reportedly looking to close on his $44 billion, $54.20 a share bid to buy Twitter and has repeatedly said that if he closes on the transaction, he will welcome Trump back to Twitter. However, Trump has said that if Musk buys Twitter, he will not return to the platform.

On the Google Play Store, Truth Social writes, "Truth Social is a Big Tech alternative that encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology. Join the fastest growing social media platform today and let your voice be heard. Sign up to stay informed about breaking news and the people who influence you. Join the conversation by sharing your unique opinion by posting a Truth, Re-Truth, photo, news story, or video link to communicate with your friends, followers, and the world."

Trump has been trying to take Truth Social and his Trump Media & Technology Group public by using a vehicle known as a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC). This company, called Digital World Acquisition Corp., has been under investigation by the SEC for allegedly misrepresenting shell companies. After today's news that Google would allow Truth Social to be listed in the Play Store, Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC) shares rose 99 cents or 6.2% after hours to $16.95. The stock closed regular trading hours at $15.96, down 18 cents or 1.12%.